North Carolina Kettlebells

Friday, December 7, 2018

14 188 lb. 30m of A+A training. On the minute: 5 snatches right, 5 snatches left, 1 power clean and power jerk with a 115 lb. barbell. All snatches with 24k kettlebell. Total of 50/50 snatches, 10 clean and jerks. Left side of mid back does not feel right afterward. In retrospect, I should have skipped the clean and jerks and just done 50 more snatches.

10 Some easy swings and long cycle to warm up. A+A training for 20m. Alternated between 2-hand swings and pushups. First 10m did 5 swings with 40k, 5 pushups. Second 10m did 10 2-hand swings with 32k, 5 pushups. Total of 50 pushups, 25 swings with 40k, 50 swings with 32k.

7- 189 lb. 1 hour of A+A style training. For the first 30 minutes, did 5 snatches right, then 5 snatches left (24k), then 5 dips at the top of each minute. Repeated this 3-minute circuit 30 times, completing all work within 15s. For the second 30 minutes, did 8 2-handed swings with a 32k at the top of one minute, followed by 2 wide-grip pullups the next minute. Repeated this 2-minute circuit 15 times. In total, completed 50/50 snatches (24k), 120 swings (32k), 50 dips, and 30 pullups. Average heart rate in low 140's for an hour. Online monitor says about 840 calories burned.

4- 1 hour of A+A style training. Repeated a 3-minute circuit 20 times: 10 swings right, 10 swings left (24k), 10 pushups. All work completed in under 15s. Total of 400 swings, 200 pushups. HR averaged low 140's for an hour. About 840 calories burned. Too many pushups. My shoulders complained and kept me from training the next two days.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

7189 lb. Slept well, feeling better. Early
morning training. VWC snatch, 18k, 6 rep cadence, :15/:15. 26 minutes = 312
snatches. Heart rate at end of set: 184. According to an online calculator, I
burned 537 calories. 20 calories a minute. I don’t think I’m going to find a
better way to improve my conditioning, drop some fat, and build snatch volume.I may spend the winter doing a cycle of VWC
and basic powerlifting to build a base of conditioning, strength, and snatch
resilience. Then I can be ready for a specific cycle of half-marathon training
toward MS or CMS.

6189 lb. been sick for a week, and eating
everything in sight. Woke up at 3:30 this morning, and could not get back to
sleep. Tried to do half-marathon and VWC work, but very little energy. Did a
few sets of half-snatches: 2 minutes with 24k, 26k, 28k @ 8rpm. Long cycle,
2x12k: 3m @ 8rpm. VWC snatch, 16k: 3m, 7 reps in :15. Heavy partial training with the powerlifts.
Deadlift: 3x5 @ 300 lb., bar set at 26 inches. Bench press: 3x5 @ 205, bar set
at 38 inches. Squat: 3x5 @ 300 lb., bar set at 53.5 inches. All lifts felt
moderate- about 80% effort. My half-rack is rated for 300 lb., but when I put
the bar on at 300lb., I hung on it, and it did not complain. About 500 lb.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

30Half-snatch, 22k: 250 reps in 30m. 9rpm
for 10m, then 8rpm for 20m. Everything held up fine at this pace, but shoulders
were starting to fatigue. I’m starting a cycle of some heavy partial lifts.
Deadlifts off 6 2x12 boards (about 9.5 inches), just below knees: 5 singles
with 300, a few singles with 275. 275 seems like a good starting weight. These
should be moderately heavy, but not a hard effort. Bench press from pins: 2x5 @
205 lb. About the top 4-5 inches of the press. Partial squat: 2x5 @ 275lb. A
little higher than a quarter squat. Over time I’ll increase the range of motion
while keeping the weight constant. I plan to include these a few times a week
to have a pure strength element to complement the kettlebells for power
endurance and bodyweight work for mobility and strength endurance.

29Half-snatch, 22k: 10m @ 9rpm = 90 reps.
Felt good, but did not have time to do more. Pushups on fourth step: 1 set of
125 reps. Paced pushups with breathing, nice and easy at this incline.

27Swing, 24k: 10 reps every :30 for 10m =
200.

24186.5 lb. Early morning training. Pullups:
50 reps total in multiple sets. Started with 5, then sets of 1-3 reps. Dips: 50
reps total. 12 reps, then sets of 5. Some manual labor throughout the morning.
Pushups on the stairs, performed as a drop set. 15 reps on the floor, then on
each of four stairs, with <10s rest. 75 reps total. Half-snatch, 22k: 4m @
9rpm = 36 reps.Was interrupted for 4m,
then resumed training. 20m @ 9rpm = 180 reps. 216 reps total.

15Started with some basic labor with a
shovel, moving gravel on the road. Training: half-snatch, 22k: 30m @ 8rpm = 240
reps. This seems to be the sweet spot bell for me right now. Heart rate at end
of set: +- 166 bpm. Everything felt great. Finished with about 30 minutes of
lumber and trash cleanup.

13188 lb. Finished course of prednisone
yesterday. Feel ravenous and swollen. A little more kettlebell training today.
Half-snatch, 20k: 20m @ 8 rpm = 160 reps. Everything felt great, did not break
a sweat even in 20m of lifting. Shoulders were starting to fatigue when I quit,
but I could have gotten 30 minutes, no problem. After tweaking my back and
getting a respiratory infection, I was afraid I would lose a lot of progress,
but so far, so good.

12First
day back to kettlebell training in two weeks. Took it easy and did 10m of
half-snatch, 18k @ 8rpm. Nice and easy, just going through the motions. Lower
back felt a little stiff from injury and lack of use for a few weeks. Could not
get the elbow to the iliac crest without difficulty. Actual snatch movement was
no problem. Also did 4 sets of 5 pullups and 10 dips, as well as a few hours of
light construction.

11Some easy pullups, dips, and pistol
squats, just to keep moving.

9187.75 .lb. Big meal with family last
night. Got to get it under control. Still coughing and wheezing. No breath for
cardio.

8Dips and pullups. Did 3 pullups per
minute, one every :20, alternating wide, pronated, supinated grips. 17m @ 3 rpm
= 51 reps. Dips: 3 sets of 12, 1 set of 14 for 50 reps total. Practiced a few
pistol squats per leg to see how they feel. Felt fine.

645 pullups in multiple sets of varying
reps. 5x10 dips. Went to urgent care and got antibiotics and prednisone. Very
bad upper respiratory infection. No breath for cardio.

5186.5 lb. 24% bodyfat. 44.75 lb. of fat,
141.75 lb. lean mass. Time to get some fat off. If I drop to 165 without
gaining muscle, that would put me at 14% bodyfat, which is where a man my age
starts to get lean.

450 pullups, varying grips and reps. Dips:
5x10.

3Went to chiropractor and got adjusted.
Sore rest of the day, no training.

2Just dips and chins today. Total of 40
chins, 40 dips.

1Started training with deadlift, 235 lb.
First rep went up fine. Second rep, felt something tweak in lower back. Quit,
stretched, but very painful and stiff all day.

26186 lb. Deadlift: 5 singles @ 225 lb. Long
cycle, 22k: 10m @ 8rpm = 80 reps. Rest 5m, then half-snatch, 22k: 10m @ 8rpm =
80 reps. Rest 5m, then push press, 22k: 10m @ 8 rpm = 80 reps. All hand
switches OTM. Total 240 reps with 22k = 11,616 pounds lifted and supported for
30m. Used a lighter weight and comfortable pace so I could get all three 10m
sets in. Finished with wide-grip pullups: 2x5. Skipped the dips because of the
push presses, and the squats because of so much ballistic lifting. Did a few
hours of manual labor on the house.

17185.75 lb. I expected to be heavier, since
I’ve been really undisciplined in my eating this weekend.

14Isaac graduated from Coast Guard Basic
Training today. Because of the approaching hurricane, I could not go. I could
not ask our farm sitter to risk being stranded on our farm for days with no
power, which is a real possibility. I watched the graduation ceremony on a live
stream. Then I came home and trained and worked on the house.

Kettlebell training: half-snatch,
20k: 12m @ 12rpm = 144 reps. This is a very fast pace for me, so 12m was pretty
good. Did not approach failure- just a work set. Rested a few minutes, then
squats: 1 set of 25 with 135 lb. Took almost 4m to finish. Wide-grip pullups:
25 reps in as few sets as possible. Dips: 25 reps in as few sets as possible.
About three hours manual labor, building railing for rear deck stairs.

Slipped and took a hard fall
carrying a table saw. Feel pretty banged up in the evening.

10184.5 lb. Half-snatch, 24k: 10m @ 8rpm =
80 reps. Nice easy set today, just to get moving. Several hours of installing
trim. Throughout the day, 3 sets of 8 wide-grip pullups, 15 dips. I can tell a
big difference in my pullup and dip strength since I did the Easy Strength
protocol for a while. I used to have to struggle to get 5 wide grip pullups,
now 8 is a rep or two short of failure. In the past I’ve done more dips, but
only by swinging my legs rhythmically. These were slow, strict reps. Finished
with squats: 20 reps with 135. This was not a terribly difficult effort, and I
felt it most in my shoulders/traps where the bar sits. Just wanted to try on
higher reps for the same movements.

8184.5 lb. Half-snatch, 28k: 2m @ 8rpm = 16. 20m @ 6rpm =
120. The weight felt heavy because I have not used it much lately, but the pace
was manageable. I could have pushed myself and completed 30m at this pace, for
180 reps. Everything felt strong. Finished 4 sets of 5 pullups and dips.

Evening training- did not feel
like heavy barbell/bodyweight work. Template called for 6 singles, each increasing
in weight. Instead, tried out double long cycle. It’s been quite a while since
I’ve done doubles. 10m with 2x12k @ 6rpm. The pace felt fine. My legs and heart
held out, no problem, and grip was barely fatigued. Shoulders really felt it,
though. I have done singles with on-the-minute hand switches for so long, I’m
not accustomed to 10 minutes straight. Finished with 1m @ 6rpm with 2x16k. A
nice break from the training I’ve been doing. I’ve done 26 sessions of the Even
Easier Strength program, and I’m seeing real gains in strength, but a little
variety will do me good.

6183.75lb. Rest day on template. A few
hours of light construction, plus some shooting.

4Rest day from lifting. Decided to do
20m of crawling as active recovery and cardio. A lot harder than I expected.
Laid out a course about 60-70 feet. Did 5m of baby crawling back and forth,
then did baby crawling, leopard crawling, and spiderman crawling. Crawled to
the end, walked back, and started over. I can really see the benefit of this
for core strength, cardio, leg strength.

28185 lb. Squats: 5,3,2 @ 185, 205, 215 lb.
Pullup: 5,3,2 @ 15, 25, 30 lb. Dips: 5,3,2 @ 45, 55, 65 lb. Half-snatch, 22k:
20m @ 10 rpm = 200 reps. Two sets of wide-grip pullups to failure. Several
hours of manual labor in 90+ degree heat. This “Even Easier Strength” program
is working great. I hit a double today with the weight I managed for a single
in the pullup three days ago, and a double with more weight than my dip single
on the 25th. My squats are feeling stronger also. My half-snatch
technique is getting strong and efficient, and My conditioning is improving. I
think there is visible hypertrophy in my chest, lats, shoulders, arms, and
upper back. Still need to drop some body fat.

27187 lb. I think it’s just fluid retention.
I had Japanese food for lunch yesterday, then a funeral meal at church in the
evening. Felt salty and swollen all night.

26Even Easier Strength template called for
1x10 today, easy tonic sets. Squat: 1x10 @ 135lb. Dips: 1x10. Pullups: a total
of 10 in easy sets of 2 and 3, since 10 would be too close to my max.

25184.5 lb. Great training day. Hit PR’s for this cycle in
everything. Today’s template was 6 singles. Pullups: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 lb.
Squat: 175, 185, 205, 215, 225, 230 lb. Dips: 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 lb. I’ve
squatted more than this, but that was about 6 years ago during a powerlifting
cycle. Rested a few minutes, then half-snatch, 22k: 24m @ 10rpm, hand switch
OTM = 240 reps. My previous best with this weight is 200 reps in 20m, so this
is a 20% improvement. Heart rate was about 180-185 at end of set, but I recovered
quickly. Total kettlebell work: 11,616 pounds snatched. When hand switches are
included, that’s 24 swings, so the total is 12,777 lbs. supported and moved.
Finished with 2 sets each of dips and chins to failure. Did not count reps,
just went slow until technical failure.

21186.5 lb. Chinese take-out last night, so
probably just salty. Pullups: 2x5 @ 12.5 lb. Squats: 2x5 @ 175 lb. Dips: 2x5 @
35 lb. Half-snatch, 20k: 20m @ 10 rpm, hand switch OTM = 200 reps. Rested a few
minutes, then dips and chins: 3 sets each to momentary muscular failure. Since
the low-rep strength work and high rep ballistic lifting don’t really lend
themselves to hypertrophy, I decided to add a few sets of dips and chins to
failure, emphasizing the negative, so I can maybe put a little muscle on. My
theory is that the high rep snatching creates the right hormonal environment
for hypertrophy, with the right kind of stimulus.

20185 lb. Pullups: 5,3,2 @ 11.25, 15, and 25
lb. Squats: 5,3,2 @ 165, 185, 205 lb. Dips: 27.5, 37.5, 47.5 lb. Long cycle
clean and jerk, 20k: 20m @ 8rpm, hand switch OTM = 160 reps. This pace felt
easy. Could have gone longer, but just did a hard 30m set of half-snatches on
Saturday, so I held back today. 20 minutes should be long enough to cause
adaptation, while minimizing wear and tear. Next time I do long cycle, I may
try for 9 rpm at this weight.

15183.25 lb. Pullups: 2x5 @ 7.5 lb. Squats:
2x5 @ 145 lb. Dips: 2x5 @ 27.5 lb. Rested a few minutes, then kettlebell work.
Warm up: long cycle, 18k: 2m @ 10 rpm. Work sets: long cycle, 18k: 4m @ 10 rpm.
This pace is too fast for good technique right now, so stopped short. Rested a
few minutes, then half-snatch, 18k: 20m @ 10rpm, hand switch OTM = 200 reps. HR
at end of set: +- 156 bpm. The half-snatch feels good these days, and this
weight and pace are just about perfect right now. I’ll make these 20-30m sets
my bread and butter for a little while, and include some faster and heavier
sets, as well as a few lighter sets to deload. If I can progress through the
18k, 20k, 22k, and 24k bells at this pace, I’ll build a good base to push for
CMS. After today’s workout, about an hour of physical labor. Very hot today.

14183.25 lb. Ate moderately yesterday, with
lots of protein and water. Today was a tonic day on the program: 1 set of 10 in
each lift. Did 10 pullups, assisted with my foot on a stool. 10 squats @ 95
pounds, nice and easy. Forgot to do 10 dips.

13186 lb. Weight going the wrong direction.
I’ve been loose in my eating habits, so it’s time to get it under control. This
may also be why my pullups feel so heavy. I’ve gained 3.5 pounds since I
started this cycle. I can see by my body comp that it’s not muscle. Training
today on the Easy Strength program was 6x1. Pullup: 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5,
15lb. Squat: 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160lb. Dips: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 lb.
Easing the weight up slowly, staying away from max effort. Just getting reps
in, like the program calls for. Rested a few minutes, then half-snatch, 18k:
20m @ 12 rpm, hand switch OTM = 240 reps. HR at end of set: 174 bpm. I’ve ended
my last two sets of 10rpm half-snatch at 162 bpm. This pace is 20% faster, and
produces a HR that’s 7% faster. I held this HR without distress. Kept
breathing, recovered immediately, no loss of vision or muscle control. This
tells me that my actual max HR is a lot higher than the Maffetone model of 179.

10185 lb. Need to cut back on eating. I
think the extra work has made me hungier, and instead of losing fat, I’m eating
too much. Pullups: 2x5 @ 7.5 lb. Squat: 2x5 @ 140 lb. Dip: 2x5 @ 25 lb. Rested
a few minutes, then half-snatch, 18k: 30m @ 10 rpm, hand switch OTM = 300 reps.
Felt good throughout the set. Pulse 162 at end of set. My max HR is supposed to
be 179, but I don’t think so. This would have been 90% of my max HR, and there
is no way.Felt much lower.

7182.5 lb. Feel good today, but woke up
with some allergy symptoms- sneezing, runny nose. Used fizzy tablets and cough
drops to get through training. Pullup: 2x5 @ 7.5 lb. Squat: 2x5 @ 115 lb. Dip:
2x5 @ 20 lb. Good kettlebell session today. Half-snatch, 16k: 30m @ 10 rpm,
hand switch OTM = 300 reps. Everything felt good. Started to feel a little burn
in shoulders the last few minutes, but grip, back, legs, and conditioning held
out fine. Rested a few minutes, then did some GPP work. 10 reps on the ab
wheel. Dumbbell curls, 8 lb: 1 set to failure- 25 reps. Pushups: 1 set to
failure: 25 reps. Finishing with a little pump to help with hypertrophy and
recovery.

This cycle, I plan to focus on
high reps with lighter weights, but will add a few heavy sessions (28k, 32k)
occasionally. I’ll be working the weights up in the squat, dip, and chin, so I
should add some strength. If I can push up my ballistic numbers and time as
well, then I can come at CMS rank from both ends: strength and endurance. Next
cycle I can peak and try for rank.

6First day back to training. Have had a
lot of stiffness and soreness in lower back. Started a new cycle today. I’m
using the Ironmind program of strength training with weighted dips, chins, and
squats. I’m plugging them into Dan John’s “Even Easier Strength” template,
along with kettlebell marathon training. I’ll do the strength program as
written, and add kettlebell sets about three days a week. Today’s training-
squat, 2x5 @ 95 lb. Pullup: 2x5. First set, used 10 lb, but this was too heavy
and left little room for progression. The program is supposed to start light,
so I dropped it to 5 lb. for the second set. Dips: 2x5 @ 5 lb. Felt
ridiculously easy. Rested a few minutes, then tried long cycle with 24k. Could
not comfortably get into rack position due to lingering low back stiffness. Did
12k half snatch instead: 20m @ 10rpm, hand switch OTM = 200 reps. Focused on
technique, breathing. Conditioning felt like I could have gone all day, but did
not want to overdo elbows or shoulders.

Over the next 40 sessions, I plan
to ease up my numbers in squats, dips, and chins, as well as to build some
training momentum in half-snatch and long cycle. I don’t know if I can get CMS
at the end of this cycle (250 reps in either lift with 28k), but I expect to
get stronger overall, and better conditioned. Maybe after this cycle I’ll peak
for a CMS test.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

31No decent training in a few days. Lots to
do today, so trained early. Fasted except for two cups of coffee with sugar.
Warmed up with a few 24k clean and jerks and half-snatches per arm. Work sets:
long cycle, 24k: 10m @ 8 rpm = 80 reps. Did 2m per arm for the first hand
switch, then switched at 1m thereafter. Rested 5m, then half-snatch, 24k: 10m @
80 = 80 reps. Hand switch OTM. Rested 5m, then some easy dumbbell training:
curl, lateral raise, fly, French press, pullover. 2x12 with 12 lb., just to get
the blood pumping. Later in the afternoon, basic strength training. Deadlift:
5x1 @ 235 lb. Clean and press: 5x1 @ 95 lb. Reduced the weight from 115 lb. to
give myself some room for training momentum. 95 is 70% of 135, which is probably
about my max press. Weighted pullup: 5x1 @ 20 lb. Each rep OTM.

27183 lb. Did my strength training early,
before 6:30. Deadlift: 5 singles @ 230 lb. Power clean and military press: 5
singles @ 115 lb. Weighted pullups: 5 singles @ 20 lb. Each rep OTM. Tomorrow will make 5 days of
deadlifting 230, so I’ll bump up to 235 on Monday. I’ll stay with 115 for the
press for now. That seems to be about a 70% effort- feels heavy, but the bar
does not stick anywhere, and I’m not straining. I may use the Justa singles
program- 5 singles a day at about 70%. If I can make a practice of doing these
early in the morning, then I can dedicate my daily training session to long
cycle and snatches. Deadlift, clean and press, and pullup seems about right.
Later in the afternoon, loaded 32 bales of hay from the field to the trailer.
It’s going to rain, so I’ll unload it tomorrow. Quick evening workout. Wanted
to do 24k long cycle, but lower back pinches a little in the rack position,
when the pelvis is anteriorly rotated. Snatches feel good, so did 16k snatch
nice and slow: 10m @ 12rpm, hand switch OTM = 120 reps. Did not challenge my
conditioning or grip, but definitely felt it in my shoulders and traps.

24Slept badly last night. Dips: 3x10. Military
press, 95 lb: 3x3. Deadlift, 230 lb.: 5 singles. In the evening at Civil Air
Patrol, ran 1 mile in 9:14. Ran the first 1/5 slowly, with a cadet, then got on
to my own pace.

23Drove to Raleigh to take Isaac to MEPS. Did
two sets of 6 pullups before leaving, then a set of 6 at a sporting goods store
in the evening.

11182 lb. Strength and power training. Long
cycle clean and jerk, 40k. 5 sets of 2m @ 5rpm, hand switch OTM = 50 reps. Most
set used an assisted clean, using the other hand to keep from tearing
palms.Using a cast iron bulldog with
thicker handle than competition bells. Felt heavy, but I’ve never felt stronger
with this weight. After the 40k, the 32k and 28k feel like toys.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

This week is my birthday, so I
decided to test. Tested absolute strength, relative strength, and
strength/power endurance. For absolute strength, I used the deadlift. At this
point I only have a 300 pound barbell set. 300 went up slow and steady on the
first and only try. Could have done more, but can’t say how much. Could
certainly have pulled 315, maybe more. Since I never deadlift anymore, I’m
pleased with this result. It’s not powerlifter strong, but stronger than a lot
of guys my age.

I got 12 pullups. The last few
reps were ugly, and involved some lower body gymnastics. My all-time best is
13, when I was younger, lighter, and focused on pullups. I have kept a lot of
my pullup strength without doing a lot of pullups. I’ve done sets of 5 lately,
with a set of 10 thrown in here and there. Like with the deadlift, it could be
better, but I’ll take it. I think that bent presses have contributed to my lat
strength, as well as the overall posterior chain strengthening of kettlebell
long cycle and half snatch.

Tested strength/power endurance
with the long cycle clean and jerk. I used a 32k kettlebell. I did 154 reps in
30 minutes, without putting down the weight. My previous best, a month ago, was
150 reps. This is only the second time I’ve gone 30 minutes with the red bell.
I started at 6 rpm, but realized 4 minutes in that I could not sustain this
pace, so dropped to 5 rpm. This performance would not earn a rank or turn many
heads at an IKMF event, but I’m pleased with it. This was the hardest set I’ve
ever done, mentally and physically. 70 pounds gets very heavy, and I wanted to
stop several times. I’m pleased that I got my 30 minutes, but there is plenty
of room for improvement.

In summary, I’m 41, weigh 179 pounds.
I can pick up over 300 pounds, do 12 pullups, and pick a 70 pound weight up and
overhead 154 times in 30 minutes without stopping. I’ve done close to 300
half-snatches with a 53 lb. kettlebell in 30 minutes. In the world of
professional strength athletes and tactical operators, I doubt I’m even
entry-level strong yet. But for a preacher with two kids and a desk job, I
think I’m ahead of the curve. I’m grateful for strength, and for the chance to
use it to the benefit of those I love.